Island



(No Model J. G. HARRIS. APPARATUS FOR GRAINING-PRINTING PLATES.

Patented July 2, 1889..

L, x T.

' INVENTCIRI WI TNEEEEE.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JABEZ G. HARRIS, OF PROVIDENCE, RIIODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO HARRIS 85 JONES, OF SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FOR GRAINING PRINTING- PLATES.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 406,398, dated July 2, 1889.

, Application filed August 20, 1888. Serial N0.283,27l. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, J ABEZ G. HARRIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Graining the Plates Employed for Surface-Printing, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in a plate-holding bed provided with raised sides to hold a quantity of sand and a number of balls, with means for imparting a reciprocating movement to the said bed, whereby the sand and balls, with water, if desired, will. be made to traverse back and forth over the surface of the plate, the balls operating as rollers to press the sand against the surface to be grained, as hereinafter fully set forth.

Figure 1 is a view showing a vertical section of the reciprocating bed employed to carry out my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section showing the plate, the balls, the layer of sand, and the water.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the bed, upon which the zinc plate B to be grained is secured by means of tacks inserted at its edges, or otherwise. The bed Ais provided with the raised sides 0 O, and also with the supporting-wheels D D, which run upon the tracks E E; or the bed may be supported upon slides without the intervention of wheels or rollers. The driving-shaft F is held in the bearing-stands G G, and is provided with the slotted crank-disk H, from which connection is made to the bed A by means of the pitman I. Upon the plate B is placed a quantity of drysand a, and also a number of balls I), which are preferably made of glass and about the size of an ordinary playing-marble The rotary movement of the shaft F will cause a reciprocating movement of the bed A and the attached plate B, which at the proper rate of speed and length of stroke will impart a back-and-forth rolling movement to the balls I), with the agitated sand, thus serving to press the grains of sand against the plate B to produce the finely-grained surface required for the purpose of surface-printing; and in order to secure the best result I add a go supply of water to the sand and balls, as shown by the dotted line 0 in Fig. 3, and in this case the desired eifect will be produced with great rapidity and of fine quality. I11- stead of the zinc plate B, which is attached to the surface of the bed A, alithographic stone plate may be grained in the same manner, the upper surface of the stone plate being arranged about level with the surface of the bed A, in order that the sand and balls may operate upon the stone to its extreme edge with uniformity, as in the 'case of the zinc plate B.

I do not in this application claim the method of graining plates for surface-printing as herein described, the same having been described and claimed by me in Patent No. 392,556, of November 6, 1888.

I claim' as my invention 1. A plate-holding bed provided with raised sides and holding a quantity of sand and a number of balls, with means for reciprocating the said bed to agitate the sand and balls upon the plate, substantially as described.

2. A plate-holding bed provided with raised 7 5 sides and holding a quantity of sand, a number 'of balls, and a quantity of water, with means for reciprocating the said bed to agitate the sand, balls, and water upon the plate, substantially as described.

J ABEZ G. HARRIS. Witnesses:

JOHN S. LYNCH, SooRATEs SCHOLFIELD. 

